Stick Figure Appreciation Day

Is this a real day or am I just making it up? If it’s not real, it definitely should be.

One thing I like about stick figures is that you don’t have to be good at drawing to make them (as I’ve plainly illustrated more than once and am going to do again in the future). What’s really amazing is how creative people can be with the most simple of tools. You don’t need illustratively detailed characters to entertain as long as you make up for it in other ways. Sometimes the simple figures even make it better.

Best Stick Figure Comics I’ve Come Across:

Explosm.net is home to Cyanide & Happiness (the name? from this), a comic by four guys trying to outdo each other in I-can’t-believe-you-just-said-that. Fair warning: none of this it is safe for work. I probably should have mentioned that before the links, huh?

Then of course there’s XKCD. At times it’s also NSFW, but then there’s also the home of Etymology Man. Also, a lifehack for writers (especially of fantasy) who need to remember that books don’t need words made up by the author.

Best Stick Figure Games I’ve Come Across:

The best is probably Stealing the Diamond, from the people who brought you Breaking the Bankand Escaping the Prison. They’re kind of less games and more choose your own adventure stories in flash format. They’re also totally worth your time. A more game-like game is Continuity, a puzzle game that requires literal outside-the-box thinking. Finally, if none of those are morbid enough for you, there’s Causality!, a game where the point is to find a way to kill all the stick figures in the fewest amount of clicks. It must be popular, as there have been five sequels.

Simple isn’t always better, but it sure is in these. Have fun!